A New Beginning
by Shinigami117
Summary: This takes place after the war with Aizen. Ichigo decides to join one of the 13 squads but first he must enter the shinigami academy. There he will see some familiar faces...
1. Chapter 1

_**A New Beginning**_

* * *

It had been sixteen years since Sosuke Aizen __had been defeated. Ichigo had conquered his inner hollow once again and then with the final Getsuga Tenshō he had defeated Aizen after an epic battle. The few surviving Arrancar had fled to Hueco Mundo never to return. Now Karakura Town had been returned to the living world and the worlds were at peace. All of the shinigami had returned to Soul Society and Ichigo and his human friends had gone back to their normal lives. Rukia and Renji still visited them often enough and sometimes other shinigami did too. On one such visit Rukia asked Ichigo if she could speak to him alone. He followed her into his room.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I wanted to ask something of you. Would you be willing to join one of the squads? We need someone to fill in the holes that Aizen, Gin, and Tousen left behind. You could easily become a captain," Rukia said.

"Why would I do that? My life is finally peaceful!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"But if you were a captain you wouldn't have to fight except in emergencies," Rukia said.

"I guess so. But I would have to handle all of the responsibilities," Ichigo said. Rukia thought for a moment and then she got an idea.

"You could become head captain!" She said excitedly.

"Huh? But you already have one of those," Ichigo said confusedly.

"He keeps making the wrong decisions and you have to save the day. I think it's about time he retired. And you would be perfect to take over for him! Most of Soul Society would happily choose you over him at this point!" Rukia exclaimed.

"Doesn't that come with even more responsibility?" Ichigo questioned.

"You could choose a new lieutenant to help you so you could come to the living world frequently. Someone you could trust..." Rukia said.

"Like you?" Ichigo said.

"What! ?" Rukia exclaimed.

"You're pretty strong and I know I can trust you," Ichigo pointed out.

"B-but I-" she stuttered.

"I'll try to become head captain only if you agree to this," Ichigo said smugly.

"Fine," Rukia muttered.

"Well, what should I do first?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, you'll need to join one of the squads missing a captain before you can try to become head captain. Oh, and to officially join a squad you have to pass the exams in the shinigami academy," Rukia said.

"I have to do what! ? I'm as strong as a captain and I have to train with a bunch of newbs! ?" Ichigo exclaimed. Rukia laughed and nodded her head. He glared at her. "You just wanted to see me go through the academy didn't you?" he growled.

"That was one of the reasons," she said while still laughing. He growled at her again.

* * *

_**The Next Day at Ichigo's House  
**_

* * *

"You're doing what! ?" Renji exclaimed while laughing his butt off. Ichigo was in a foul mood because everyone except Chad and Orihime were laughing at him. Rukia was laughing again, Renji was practically rolling on the floor, and Uyru was laughing pretty hard as well.

"You haven't learned any kido so this could actually do you some good," Orihime pointed out.

"I'll probably be better at it than Renji is," Ichigo said with a grin. Renji stopped laughing and glared at him.

"You wanna find out who is better than who?" He challenged.

"Would you guys give it a rest?" Rukia said with a sigh. They continued to glare at each other.

"So when are you leaving?" Chad asked.

"Tomorrow I guess," Ichigo said.

"So soon?" Orihime said sadly.

"I'll make sure to visit as much as possible," Ichigo said. Orihime smiled.

* * *

_**The Next Day at the Shinigami Academy**_

* * *

Ichigo's foul mood was worse than ever as he stood in the training room. After he had joined they had taken his sword from him and given him a regular, but well made, katana. It was able to stand up to a Zanpakuto's basic form. A shikai or bankai would destroy it in a heartbeat though. He had started his sword training first. He was currently fighting fake stuffed hollows. Later he would move to fighting other students. Even though that wouldn't be a challenge either it would be better than slicing up a dummy.

* * *

_**A few Days Later**_

* * *

He hadn't started kido class yet but he had moved on to fighting other students. Before he had managed to start controlling his power better he  
had sent several to the hospital by accident. All of the other students were terrified of fighting him.

"Who will train with Kurosaki next?" The instructor asked.

"I will!" Came a cocky voice. Ichigo turned to see a kid with short, slightly spiky, blue hair as well as blue eyes. His training uniform was opened up to reveal a surprisingly muscular torso for someone in their early teens. He had a cocky grin plastered on his face. Ichigo's jaw hit the floor.

"Grimmjow?" he gasped.

"Yeah, that's me. How'd ya know my name?" Grimmjow asked.

"Why are you here! ? Shouldn't you be in Hueco Mundo! ?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Why would I be there? Isn't that the world of the halos or whatever they're called?" Grimmjow questioned.

"Hollows," the instructor corrected.

"Yeah, whatever," Grimmjow said.

_Wait, this can't be the same Grimmjow. He's younger than the Grimmjow I knew, and he doesn't have a mask__ or hole_ Ichigo thought.

"So, are we gonna fight or are you too chicken to face me?" Grimmjow jeered.

_He sure has the same personality, not too mention__ he looks the same. So it has to be him doesn't it?_ Ichigo thought.

"Come on already!" Grimmjow whined.

"Er, okay," Ichigo said. Grimmjow rushed at him. Ichigo just lazily raised his sword to block. When Grimmjow's sword made contact it hit with surprising strength. "You're pretty good," Ichigo remarked. Then he quickly knocked Grimmjow's sword out of his hand and smacked him with the flat of his blade which sent him flying into a nearby wall. _Oops, I guess I put too much strength into that hit_ Ichigo thought. Grimmjow stood back up and glared at him.

"I wanna fight again!" He growled.

"Your turn is over," the instructor said. Grimmjow huffed and turned away. After the class was over Grimmjow walked over to Ichigo.

"Hey, your name is Ichigo Kurosaki isn't it?" Grimmjow said.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Ichigo asked.

"I want you to know I'm gonna beat you real soon," Grimmjow said cockily.

"Why do you want to so bad? I'm sure some of the others have beaten you," Ichigo asked.

"Only one other has," Grimmjow said with a grin.

"Who?" Ichigo asked. Grimmjow's grin turned into a scowl.

"Some emo kid. I gotta beat you so I can get stronger and kick his unnaturally white butt!" Grimmjow growled. As he said this he pointed to the kid he spoke of. He walked along silently, ignoring everyone else. He had messy black hair, pale skin, and emerald green eyes. Ichigo's jaw dropped again. He shunpoed over to the kid and grabbed his shoulder. The kid stared at him with large green eyes.

"Are you Ulquiorra?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Ulquiorra replied.

"Erm, no reason," Ichigo said.

"I bet that trash Grimmjow whined about me beating him didn't he?" Ulquiorra said.

"What did you just say! ?" Grimmjow yelled.

"You heard me, trash," Ulquiorra said calmly. He then turned to leave. Grimmjow moved toward him but Ichigo blocked him.

"Calm down," Ichigo said. Grimmjow just growled and stomped off. "This is gonna be a lot worse than I thought..." Ichigo said with a sigh.

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**_

_**AN: I'll write more chapters to this and explain how those two are in Soul Society. Also, kido class will start. P.S. I had to fix some time line errors in this chapter. It has been 16 years since Aizen was defeated so naturally Ichigo wouldn't be in school anymore lol.  
**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A New Beginning**_

* * *

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

The next day was the start of kido class. Ichigo wasn't looking forward to it but he knew he had to do it. He wanted to make Renji look bad but he was scared he would be even worse than Renji. He walked outside to the practice area for kido training. He looked over to see who was next to him. On his right was Grimmjow and on his left was Ulquiorra.

_Crap, it seems like I can never escape these guys_ he thought drearily. The instructor told them how to channel the spirit energy into a kido spell.

"The first kido spell you must learn is Shakkaho," the instructor said.

_This should be easy, it just makes things blow up_ Ichigo thought. He aimed at the target and shouted the spirit chant. The spell blew up in his face and sent him flying.

"Try it again, only this time put less power into it," the instructor said. Over to the right Grimmjow was doing better than Ichigo but still not great. He could fire it off well enough but he was having a hard time hitting the target.

"Hey loser, you should watch how a real shinigami does things," a kid next to him said haughtily.

"Shut up or I'll blow your friggin head off!" Grimmjow yelled.

"Yeah right, you couldn't hit me even if you tried," the kid jeered. Grimmjow lost it and fired a Shakkaho off at him. It scorched his head and burnt a layer of hair off. The kid wet himself.

"You do NOT attack other students!" The instructor yelled. Grimmjow just growled at him. Meanwhile, Ulquiorra was doing perfectly and hitting the target every time. Grimmjow saw how well he was doing.

_I've got to do better so I can beat him!_ He growled to himself. He started trying his hardest to improve his aim. Meanwhile, Ichigo was continuing to blow himself up. Every time he tried to fire it, it would just blow up in his face.

* * *

_**One Month Later**_

* * *

Ichigo was still the best in the sword training class, of course. Ulquiorra was still the second best and Grimmjow was third best. Another kid named Stark was fourth best. Even though he was technically stronger than Grimmjow, he was too lazy to fight at his best. The instructors were constantly trying to get him motivated but they always failed. He was always late because he slept late every time. In kido class, Ichigo had managed to get his Shakkaho to blow the target up instead of him. But the explosion was much larger than normal and kept destroying other people's targets too. Grimmjow had improved his aim but for some reason he could only hit the head of the target. Ulquiorra was still doing perfectly, of course. Stark's spells were weaker than they should have been because he kept almost dozing off. The next day they were to start learning healing kido spells. They had to heal different injured animals. Ichigo managed to blow his injured bird up.

"You are supposed to be healing it! Not killing it!" The instructor yelled.

"Sorry," Ichigo muttered. Grimmjow's injured squirrel kept trying to run away until he got really frustrated and blew it's head off.

"Grimmjow!" The instructor yelled. He then proceeded to severely scold him. Meanwhile, Ulquiorra was simply staring at his injured rabbit.

"Why aren't you healing it? You seem to be good at kido," another instructor asked.

"But why should I heal it? It was weak enough to be injured so it should die. What is the point of healing useless trash like this?" Ulquiorra asked. The instructor stared at him.

"I think you need to see a psychiatrist..." The instructor muttered. Stark and the cat he was supposed to be healing both fell asleep. Ichigo's new animal he was supposed to be healing was a cat. He, once again, blew it up. Grimmjow stared at him in horror.

"What? You killed yours too!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"You killed a cat..." Grimmjow said sadly.

"Why do you care?" Ichigo asked.

"I've always liked cats... I think they might be the only thing I like, well, that and violence," Grimmjow said while still looking sad.

"Erm... Sorry?" Ichigo said. Grimmjow just glared at him. _Oh yeah, he was a cat when he was a hollow wasn't he... I guess that's why__ he developed a liking for them..._ Ichigo thought. Grimmjow now had a bat. It tried to fly away despite its broken wing. He growled at it and blew its head off. Suddenly Ulquiorra was standing next to him and staring at him.

"What's your problem?" Grimmjow growled.

"I have an emotion that could perhaps be that of liking that I feel toward bats. I don't like to see trash like you killing them. They are superior to cats in every way," Ulquiorra said in an emotionless voice.

"What? So are you saying you like bats and don't like someone as great as me killing them even though cats are way better than them?" Grimmjow questioned.

"I do not believe that is what I said. I referred to you as trash and I referred to cats as inferior beings," Ulquiorra said.

"I was being sarcastic ya idiot," Grimmjow growled. Ulquiorra glared at him and he glared right back.

"Get back to your training!" The instructor barked at Ulquiorra. He silently walked back to his target. Grimmjow and Ichigo had to take extra kido classes. Grimmjow was good enough at it but he kept losing he temper and attacking things and Ichigo managed to make even the simplest spell explode. Ichigo was determined to succeed so that he could pass the final exams and officially become a shinigami. Grimmjow was determined to succeed so that he could beat Ulquiorra. Stark had been told he didn't have to take extra classes because they knew he was good at it, he was just too lazy to actually cast any spells most of the time. They told him he just needed to get some motivation and he would be sure to pass.

* * *

_**Two Months Late****r**_

* * *

Ichigo had finally succeeded in casting the simplest kido spells. Now the only problem was that he made them too powerful. Sometimes that was a good thing but other times it wasn't. Grimmjow managed to stop losing his temper at everything. Stark was still lazy. And Ulquiorra was still doing perfectly. Even though they were doing better at their classes they had a new problem to deal with... Fangirls. _(Dun, dun, duuuun!)_ Ichigo was left alone but the others had hordes of them following them everywhere. Grimmjow found them annoying and it took everything he had not to attack them. Stark ignored them because he was too busy sleeping to care. And Ulquiorra was terrified of them. He was an emotionless guy; so he found hordes of peppy, over emotional girls following him everywhere rather horrifying. He was constantly trying to think of new ways to escape them.

_What is wrong with these people? Me and__ Ulquiorra are 15, several of these fangirls are only 10 or 11! They shouldn't even be thinking about boyfriends at that age! What do their parents teach them?_ Grimmjow thought to himself irritably. It was even worse for Stark, he had 10 and 11 year old fangirls and he was 16. Ichigo was glad everyone else had drawn the attention away from him. He knew what having fangirls was like, remember Nel?

* * *

_**Sometime Later**_

* * *

Ichigo was lying on his bed thinking. _I wonder... Hollows are supposed to be purified when killed by a __Zanpakutō__. So why are Grimmjow and Ulquiorra here? I killed Ulquiorra with a Cero and last time I saw Grimmjow he was still alive... Maybe I should ask one of the captains about this. Tomorrow is Saturday so I'll be able to ask someone then_ Ichigo thought.

* * *

**_The Next Day_**

* * *

Unohana was walking along peacefully when she heard a familiar voice shouting.

"Hey! Unohana! I need to talk to you!" Ichigo yelled. She stopped and waited for him. He ran to her and stopped to catch his breath.

"What do you need, Kurosaki?" She asked. He explained what he had been wondering about. "I see. Well, a hollow is purified when they are killed by a shinigami, it doesn't matter how the shinigami kills them. As for Grimmjow, I found him when he was injured and healed him. He was unconscious at first but when he woke up he saw me and attacked. Unfortunately, Kenpachi was standing nearby and saw him. He decided that he must be strong enough to fight and attacked Grimmjow. However, Grimmjow was still badly wounded and Kenpachi cut him down before he could even block. Kenpachi was not happy about that at all," Unohana explained.

"Oh, well that makes sense. Thanks for the help. Oh, and could you not tell anyone about this?" Ichigo asked.

"Why?" She asked.

"I don't want them to be treated unfairly because they were once espada," Ichigo explained.

"I understand," Unohana said with a smile.

Thanks," Ichigo said.

* * *

_**Nine Months Later**_

* * *

It had been a full year and Ichigo had been told that he would be allowed to take the final exam 5 years early. It was not necessary for him to stay any longer, due to the fact that he had only needed to go to the academy as a formality. Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Stark would be allowed to take the final exam as well, due to their exceptional skills. Ulquiorra had passed the exam easily. Grimmjow had managed to control his temper so he passed. Stark had managed to stay awake long enough to pass. And so Ichigo was the only one left.

"Your sword skills are excellent, your kido, however..." The instructor began.

"I failed, didn't I?" Ichigo asked miserably.

"No, you passed, but barely. The only other student I've seen do this badly was-"

"Renji Abarai," Ichigo finished.

"Yes, it was him," the instructor said with a sigh. Ichigo cheered and ran out the door.

"You three actually passed? I'm truly amazed," Ulquiorra said dryly.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean! ?" Grimmjow yelled.

"What squad are you guys gonna join?" Stark asked.

"I'm joining the 11th, I've heard they love violence so it'll be perfect!" Grimmjow said cheerfully.

"Yes, you should get along nicely with them," Ichigo said with a sigh.

"I think I'll join the 8th," Stark said with a yawn.

"I'll join the 5th," Ichigo said.

"I wasn't sure rather I should join the 5th or 6th squad but you helped me make up my mind. I shall join the 6th," Ulquiorra said.

"Hey! You don't even want to be in the same squad as me! ?" Ichigo exclaimed. Ulquiorra just ignored him.

"I'll miss you, Grimmy-chan," a fangirl sobbed.

"I told you that if you ever called me that again I'd blow your friggin head off!" Grimmjow yelled.

"Ulqui-kun helped me decide. I'm gonna join squad 6 when I graduate!" A fangirl yelled.

_My life sucks... _Ulquiorra thought gloomily.

"Well, I wish you guys luck, I guess," Ichigo said.

"I'll train until I can kick your butts, and that's a promise!" Grimmjow said to Ichigo and Ulquiorra.

"I guess this means more work for me..." Stark muttered. Ulquiorra just walked off without any parting words. "What an interesting guy," Stark said sarcastically.

"You don't have a lot of room to talk," Ichigo pointed out. Stark just shrugged. Grimmjow spotted a bunch of fangirls running toward him. He took off as fast as he could. Ichigo laughed and then went on his way. _Weirdly enough, I'm sorta glad those guys were reborn. The academy would've been a lot more boring without them. It almost seemed like we had become friends, it's possible, if you twist the meaning of the word "friends" enough_ Ichigo thought with a laugh.

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**_

_**AN: It's not over yet, next we get to see everyone join their squads. And yes, it's been around 16 years since Aizen was defeated. That makes Ichigo and his human friends 31 years old. Rukia waited to ask Ichigo to join a squad because 1. she wanted him to get to live his normal life for a while before asking and 2. she thought he should mature and be a little older before trying to become a captain.  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

_** A New Beginning**_

* * *

_** Chapter 3**_

* * *

The four of them had set off to join their squads. To do so, they had to meet with the captain of each squad and pass a test of some sort to join. Grimmjow walked into the room where he was supposed to be meeting the 11th squad's captain.

_I wonder what this guy will be like. I hope he's tough, then he can train me to be really strong so I can finally defeat Ulquiorra_ Grimmjow thought hopefully. Suddenly Kenpachi came crashing through one of the walls.

"See Kenny-chan, I told you this was the right way!" Yachiru said cheerfully.

"Yeah, yeah, you got it right, for once," Kenpachi muttered.

_Well, at least he knows how to make an entrance... _Grimmjow thought.

"Hey, are you the new guy?" Kenpachi asked.

"Yeah, I'm here to join," Grimmjow said.

"You'll have to pass a test first!" Yachiru said.

"So what is this test?" Grimmjow asked.

"You have to fight me. If I think you seem strong enough then you can join," Kenpachi said.

"Fine then, bring it on," Grimmjow said with a grin.

"I'm surprised, you didn't whine about it being unfair that you had to fight a captain. I like that, it proves that you aren't a coward," Kenpachi said with a psychotic grin.

"Thanks, but what reason is there to whine? Captain or not I'm still gonna beat you," Grimmjow bragged.

"You've got guts. Now let's fight!" Kenpachi yelled. Grimmjow unsheathed his sword and ran at him.

* * *

_** Twenty Minutes Later**_

* * *

Grimmjow had fought as hard as he could but he still hadn't won, of course. Every time Kenpahi knocked him down he would just jump up and keep fighting until he collapsed from exhaustion. Kenpachi turned to leave.

"No, wait! I'm not done yet!" Grimmjow growled while trying to stand up.

"Yes you are. The point of this fight wasn't to beat me; it was to test your power and endurance. As well as your will to fight," Kenpaichi said.

"So did I pass?" Grimmjow asked.

"Of course you did! I haven't seen someone as promising as you in ages! You could be really fun to fight, with enough training," Kenpachi said with a psychotic grin.

"Thanks, but it isn't you that I need to beat. I've got to train to beat Ulquiorra and Kurosaki, though I'll add you to the list of people I need to beat," Grimmjow said.

"Kurosaki? I've been wanting to fight him too. He keeps getting away from me though..." Kenpachi said sadly.

"Cheer up, Kenny-chan! Now that he's officially become a shinigami you'll get more chances to fight him!" Yachiru said.

"You're right, Yachiru," Kenpachi said with a grin.

"What do I do now?" Grimmjow asked.

"Kill hollows whenever you're told and when you aren't doing that, train," Kenpachi said simply.

"Sounds good to me!" Grimmjow said.

"Hey, kid, you look familiar. Have I met, or fought, you before?" Kenpachi asked.

"Not that I know of," Grimmjow said with a shrug.

"Huh, guess it doesn't matter," Kenpachi said. Then he ran through a different wall and went on his way.

* * *

_** Meanwhile...**_

* * *

Ulquiorra had arrived at his meeting spot.

"You are two seconds late, that shall hurt you chances of joining," Byakuya said.

"I'm sorry, I would have made it sooner if some piece of trash with a little girl riding on his back hadn't crashed into me," Ulquiorra said.

"That 'piece of trash' is another captain. Insulting your superiors will not be tolerated. Though I'll let it slide this time," Byakuya said. _Mainly because I agree with his opinion of Captain Zuraki_ Byakuya thought.

"What is it that you wish for me to do?" Ulquiorra asked.

"You must keep a young sakura tree alive and healthy for a week," Byakuya said.

"How is this a test?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"It is to test your patience as well as to make sure you are capable of more than just fighting, we aren't the 11th squad, after all," Byakuya said. Ulquiorra nodded and then left.

"You just wanted him to keep it watered while you left on your mission to the living world, didn't you?" Renji questioned.

"Of course not," Byakuya said. Renji noticed that he didn't look him in the eye when he said this.

_Wow, he's a bad liar. I feel sorry for the new kid_ Renji thought.

* * *

_**One Week Later**_

* * *

Byakuya had come back from his mission in the world of the living and had gone to check the condition of the sakura tree. He stared at it.

"How did I do, Kuchiki-sama?" Ulquiorra asked. The tree was in perfect condition and it seemed to have grown much faster than it normally would have. It also seemed to be more beautiful than all of the other trees.

"How did you do this in one week?" Byakuya asked.

"I simply watered and trimmed it. I also used some new fertilizer another captain said he wanted tested," Ulquiorra said.

"Which captain was this?" Byakuya asked.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi," Ulquiorra answered.

_Why would he make something like this? He usually likes to make things that cause death, not life_Byakuya wondered. "It seems you pass, though you did use outside help. However, since you were helping Captain Kurotsuchi that will not count against you," Byakuya said.

"Thank you. Now what is it that I must do?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Follow your superiors' orders without question and do something productive in your free time. Perhaps growing more sakura trees, or training if you feel you need it," Byakuya answered. Ulquiorra bowed and then left. _Renji has never bowed to me... This young man is very strict as well as calm and controlled. If he proves strong enough I might replace Renji with him_ Byakuya thought.

* * *

_**The Next Day**_

* * *

Byakuya walked into his garden while drinking his morning coffee. He decided to see how the tree Ulquiorra had taken care of was doing. As he neared the spot it was at he noticed a terrible smell. Then he saw it. The tree was completely dead and was rotting. It was oozing some terrible smelling unknown substance.

"Kurotsuchi!" Byakuya growled angrily.

* * *

_** One Week Earlier**_

* * *

Stark had arrived at his meeting spot a half hour late. He had, of course, over slept.

_Here we go again. I'll probably be scolded for an annoyingly long time; I'll get bored and fall asleep, and then I'll be scolded again. That's how it always goes.._. Stark thought with a sigh. He looked around the room. No one was there. _Huh, I guess he got tired of waiting on me_ he thought. Just then Shunsei walked in.

"Sorry, I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long. I over slept," Shunsui said with an apologetic smile.

"Erm, no problem," Stark said.

"Let's see, you want to join my squad. Am I correct?" Shunsui asked.

"Yeah, so what do I have to do?" Stark asked. Shunsui looked like he was in deep thought.

"I know! How about a saki drinking contest? If you can impress me by drinking enough saki then I'll let you join!" Shunsui said cheerfully.

"Uh, sure, sounds good to me," Stark said. _This is my kinda guy_! Stark thought gleefully.

* * *

_** An Hour Later**_

* * *

Stark had managed to drink himself into a coma. The good news was that Shunsui was highly impressed with how much saki he had managed to consume before passing out.

"Tell him he's in the squad if he wakes up before me. Okay, Nanao?" Shunsui asked.

"Fine, but I really don't understand how you ever became a captain... What kind of a test was that?" Nanao said irritably. As she said this she realized that he had already fallen asleep. She sighed and then walked off.

* * *

_** Meanwhile...**_

* * *

"You shall be the captain of squad 5," Yamamoto said.

"Erm, I haven't even joined it yet, I thought I was supposed to take some sort of test..." Ichigo said confusedly.

"You already defeated Aizen, what more do you need to do to prove yourself?" Ukitake questioned.

"I guess you've got a point. Well, I guess I'll go take my stuff to my quarters," Ichigo said. _Well, that was easy_ Ichigo thought.

* * *

_** At Ichigo's House**_

* * *

"You're already a captain? That's great!" Orihime said cheerfully.

"Yeah, a bit weird though..." Ichigo said.

"Are you any better at kido yet?" Renji asked with an evil grin.

"Shut up," Ichigo growled. _***flashback*** Ichigo had been in the middle of kido class when Rukia and Renji had decided to pay a visit. Ichigo had just finished accidentally blowing himself up with a kido spell that was meant to be a shield. Renji was rolling on the ground with laughter while Rukia just shook her head at how hopeless they both wer_e. _***present time***_ "By the way, I met some old friends there," Ichigo said.

"Really? Who?" Orihime asked.

"Stark, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra," Ichigo said. Everyone's jaws dropped. "I told Unohana about them and asked her not to tell anyone. I didn't want Yamamoto to find out and have them locked away or watched 24/7. He'd probably say that they may get their memories back because they had already had shinigami powers before they died. I think they should get a second chance, though," Ichigo said.

"I understand what you're saying, but won't he know by now? They've already joined, or attempted to join, a squad by now," Rukia said.

"I know, but maybe he won't recognize them," Ichigo said with a shrug.

"I think that was really nice of you," Orihime said with a smile.

"Unohane probably won't tell anyone if it could cause someone to get hurt," Renji said.

"I know, that's why I asked her about them," Ichigo said.

"It's only a matter of time before someone recognizes them. That's why you need to become head captain, then you could help protect innocent people from being treated unfairly," Rukia said. Ichigo nodded in agreement.

"Well, I gotta get back, I'll see you guys later," Ichigo said with a wave. Rukia and Renji followed him back to Soul Society.

* * *

_** In Soul Society**_

* * *

Shunsui was lying on his bed attempting to go to sleep, something that usually came easy to him. But this time sleeping was difficult because he had something on his mind that had been bugging him for a while.

_That kid looked so familiar, I could swear I've seen him before..._ He thought. He lay there thinking for a while._ I remember! He was the 1st espada!_ He thought in shock._ He seemed like a pretty good guy when he was an espada, I think we could be friends now that he's a shinigami_.

* * *

_** The Next Day**_

* * *

Kenpachi was watching Grimmjow fight some other squad 11 members.

_I keep thinking I've fought him before, but that's impossible... _Kenpachi thought confusedly. Suddenly it came back to him. _He was that blue haired guy who attacked Captain Unohana!__ I guess I couldn't remember cause it wasn't a real fight. I thought he seemed strong before, maybe now I can fight him and actually have fun after he's trained long enough_ Kenpachi thought excitedly. The only one who had yet to be recognized was Ulquiorra. Byakuya had never met him so didn't recognize him. Even if he had he probably wouldn't have cared. He was the perfect squad member in Byakuya's eyes. He always followed orders perfectly, he never questioned his orders, and he was always calm and controlled. Byakuya couldn't wait for him to get stronger so he could replace Renji with him. The first step to this was for Ulquiorra to learn his sword's name, Byakuya wondered how long it would take him to do so.

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters or places from it.**_

_**AN: In the next chapter they will all learn their swords name and unlock their shikai.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_** A New Beginning**_

* * *

_** Chapter 4**_

* * *

Stark, Ulquiorra, and Grimmjow had all been told by their captains that they needed to learn they're Zanpakutō's names. They all went to different rooms where they sat in solitude and meditated. Ulquiorra banished all unnecessary thoughts, which wasn't hard since he doesn't think much, so he could concentrate solely on his goal. Grimmjow quickly got bored and frustrated. And Stark fell asleep. Ulquiorra sat in silence for a while.

_Why isn't anything happening? I have put all of my concentration into this and still my sword does not speak to me. What am I doing wrong? _Ulquiorra wondered. Grimmjow growled and threw his sword down.

"What the hell am I supposed to even be doing? Everybody just told me to meditate! But that isn't accomplishing anything!" Grimmjow yelled. Stark was snoring now.

* * *

_** Several Hours Later**_

* * *

_My sword is nothing but trash that isn't even capable of speaking. I have done everything I was told to do and still nothing happens_ Ulquiorra thought bitterly. He finally gave up and decided to rest before trying again. He laid down and slept. He had a dream. In his dream, he was in a pitch black cave. Despite how dark it was he could still see something standing before him. It was a man with a face and wings like a bat. He didn't have an ugly bat face; he had a face like that of a flying fox. He was covered in black fur and his arms were like a bat's. The main differences between him and a bat were that he was the size of a human and that he stood on two legs like a human. "Who, or what, are you?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I wish I could tell you, Ulquiorra. However, you have kept your heart and mind closed to me and so I cannot tell you my name. If you wish to hear it then you must accept me into your heart," the batman (lol) said.

"Heart? What do you mean by this? I wish to become stronger by learning your name, however, having a heart and feelings would make me weaker," Ulquiorra stated. The batman shook his head.

"I see that I will not be able to get through to you. It saddens me that I cannot help you. When you awaken, you should leave this place, for continuing to try to speak to me is futile," he said. And with that, he disappeared. Ulquiorra woke up. He sat there for a moment in silence.

_A heart... If this power cannot be obtained without one then it is obviously not worth obtaining_ Ulquiorra thought.

* * *

_** Meanwhile...**_

* * *

Stark was dreaming. He stood in a calm and peaceful forest. He was surrounded by pine trees and to his right was a beautiful stream. A large grey female wolf came into the clearing.

"I am pleased to meet you, Stark. I see you have been diligent in trying to uncover my name," she said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it, I was sitting in a completely silent room, I couldn't fight the need to sleep," Stark said with a shrug.

"You seem at ease around me," she commented.

"Of course, you are my Zanpakutō after all," Stark said.

"You recognized me surprisingly fast. That is good, it means you have an open mind. If you are willing to accept me into your heart, then I shall tell you my name," she said.

"Why not? Friends are great, as long as they let me sleep. You will let me sleep, right?" Stark asked with a worried frown. She laughed.

"Of course, now then, are you willing to accept the responsibilities of a shinigami?" she asked.

"I guess I gotta, sleeping is great but I don't mind helping my squad out," Stark said.

"Good, then you are ready. My name is Lilynette," she said.

"Thanks for telling me, though I'm sure the others probably learned theirs hours ago," Stark said with yawn.

"Don't bet on it," Lilynette said and then she disappeared. He woke up.

_Huh, that was easier than I expected_ he thought.

* * *

_** Elsewhere**_

* * *

Grimmjow had thrown his sword at the wall a couple of times until he finally gave up and decided to take a nap. Soon after he had a dream. He was in a jungle. It was unlike any normal jungle, however, because there was no signs of life, besides plants. He looked around in confusion until he heard a noise behind him. He spun around in time to see a man covered in sleek black fur. He had a face like a cat's and he had claws and a tail.

"Hello," he purred.

"What the hell are you?" Grimmjow asked.

"I am your Zanpakutō, whom you have been throwing at a wall," he growled.

"So what? I wouldn't have if you would have talked to me sooner," Grimmjow growled back.

"Do you know why your inner world is a jungle? It is hot like your temper and harsh and cruel just like you," it said suddenly.

"What's your point?" Grimmjow said.

"It is hard living here, if you were to actually care for someone it might become more hospitable," it said.

"Why would I want that?" Grimmjow questioned.

"I, just like you, love a good fight; however, I do not want to fight with you. We are meant to be one, and unless you can lay your pride aside and accept my help, then you will never obtain the power you desire," it said.

"I want to win my fights myself, why should I let you win them for me?" Grimmjow demanded.

"You would be winning them! As I said before, we are one. I have always been with you, you just haven't noticed until now. Don't you want the strength to defeat Ulquiorra and Kurosaki?" it asked.

"Well, yeah... Fine, how do I obtain your power?" Grimmjow asked.

"You must accept my help willingly, and then I will tell you my name," it said.

"You mean I've got to ask you to help me in the middle of a fight?" Grimmjow asked. It nodded. "Fine, I guess I've gotta find someone strong to fight then," Grimmjow said. Then he woke up. _Finally! I thought I'd never get to leave this room!_ He thought.

* * *

_** The Next Day**_

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Ichigo asked. He had heard that they were trying to unlock their shikai so he had decided to visit them and find out if they had succeeded.

"Pretty easy for me, we got along pretty well," Stark said.

"I haven't learned his name but he told me what to do to learn it, now I just gotta find a tough fight," Grimmjow said. Ulquiorra remained silent.

"Hey, aren't you going to tell us what happened?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm sure it was really easy for him," Grimmjow said bitterly.

"No, I haven't learned it's name. It said that I must open my heart and accept it. It sounds like a bunch of garbage to me," Ulquiorra muttered. Grimmjow burst into laughter.

"I had trouble too. But Zangetsu showed me how to conquer my fear and I've grown much stronger thanks to him," Ichigo said.

"Opening my heart would simply make me weaker," Ulquiorra stated.

"I've fought you at the academy and beat you every time and I've got an open heart," Ichigo argued.

"You simply are older and have more experience," Ulquiorra said.

"If I hadn't learned my sword's name I wouldn't have amounted to anything and neither will you," Ichigo said. He then left the room. Ulquiorra stood silently for a little while and then left as well.

"I think it's a bit sad that you're more accepting than Ulquiorra," Stark said.

"Yeah, well, at least I feel emotion," Grimmjow muttered. Ichigo sighed as he walked into his quarters.

_That guy is gonna turn out as bad as he was when he was an espada..._ He thought.

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach**_.

_**AN: Yes, Ulquiorra will learn his swords name but it could take him a while. Who wants to guess how he manages to open up his heart?**_

_**P.S. I don't know how it's gonna happen either. I'm still trying to decide.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_** A New Beginning

* * *

**_

_** Chapter 5

* * *

**_

Grimmjow stalked through the 11th squad barracks looking for someone tough to fight.

_I can't fight Kurosaki because he has gone to the living world to visit those friends of his. And Ulquiorra is no where to be found. I guess Captain Zuraki is my only choice_ he decided. "Hey, I wanna fight you. And not for training, I want to fight you for real," Grimmjow said as he walked up to Kenpachi.

"Sounds like fun," Kenpachi said with a grin. All of the other squad members quickly cleared the area. Grimmjow rushed forward and attacked. Kenpachi blocked him easily. Grimmjow swept his sword towards Kenpachi's head. He lazily raised his sword to block. Suddenly Grimmjow changed direction and went for one of his legs. Kenpachi moved backwards before it made contact. "That was a pretty nice move. But you're too slow!" Kenpachi yelled as he lunged forward. They continued to fight for several minutes.

"I'm tired of this, I want you to fight at full strength," Grimmjow demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, however, I will use more of my strength. Remember, you asked for it," Kenpachi said with a menacing grin. He attacked quickly and fiercely. Grimmjow barely got his sword up in time. They fought for about two more minutes before Kenpachi knocked him down and raised his sword to strike him.

_Will you accept my strength?_ His Zanpakutō asked.

_Not yet! I can still fight!_ Grimmjow said. He rolled to the side and dodged Kenpachi. He leaped back up and ran at him. Kenpachi deflected his blow and then swept his sword under Grimmjow's and sliced his side open. Grimmjow stumbled back while holding his side.

_How about now?_ His Zanpakutō questioned.

_It's only a flesh wound!_ Grimmjow snarled.

_You can't actually beat him; the only point to this was to put you in a situation where you truly needed my help_ it pointed out.

_Well I don't need it yet _Grimmjow said. They continued to fight until Kenpachi knocked his sword from his hand and raised his sword for the finishing blow.

"I won't kill you, of course, I'll only incapacitate you," Kenpachi said. He was just about to strike Grimmjow down.

_It's now or never_ his sword warned.

_Fine! I'll accept your help! _Grimmjow said.

_My name is Pantera, now let's have some fun!_ It said.

"Lacerate, Pantera!" Grimmjow yelled. His sword transformed into a pair of claws attached to each hand. They were long and thin, but not easily broken. They were made of extremely sharp metal. The claws themselves were silver but the parts attached to his hands were a deep blue. He examined them for a few seconds._ I couldn't have asked for a better shikai_ he thought with a grin. He lunged forward and sliced at Kenpachi. Kenpachi blocked but the claws nicked his blade and put a scratch on it.

"This will be more fun than I originally thought it would be!" Kenpachi said. They fought for a while until Kenpachi knocked him down again and held his sword at his throat. "You're a strong kid but it will take you years before you can beat me," Kenpachi said. Grimmjow growled and pushed himself up.

_Now I can finally beat Ulquiorra! He won't stand a chance without knowing his __Zanpakutō's__ name!_ Grimmjow thought excitedly as he left the room.

_Aren't you glad you accepted my help?_ Pantera asked.

_Yeah, I hate to admit it but you were right, it didn't feel like__ outside help at all _Grimmjow admitted.

_Now we will be able to fight together in many more battles to come, I am looking forward to it_ Pantera said.

_Me too_ Grimmjow thought with grin.

* * *

_** Sometime Later

* * *

**_

Check this out, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow said as he released his sword.

"Pretty cool, I've never seen a Zanpakutō like it," Ichigo said.

"You never showed us yours, Stark," Grimmjow said.

"Fine, I'll show you. Howl, Lilynette," Stark said lazily. His sword transformed into a pistol that looked very much like the ones he had as an espada. The main difference was that there was only one and it had a blade attached to the handle. It was basically a sort of gunblade. The blade curved down from the handle and then curved back up so that the tip of the blade was right below the tip of the barrel. The blade couldn't be used for stabbing but it was great for slashing.

"Cool, does it fire normal bullets?" Ichigo asked.

"They are mostly the same except that they are made of my spirit energy so I'll never have to reload or worry about running out of ammo," Stark said. Grimmjow glanced at Ulquiorra.

"So, trash, now do you see the power of a shikai? Even if you did learn your sword's name mine would still be better," Grimmjow bragged.

"Did you just call me trash?" Ulquiorra said.

"No, I called you princess," Grimmjow replied sarcastically. Ulquiorra glared at him for a while and then walked out of the room.

"I thought he was emo before but now..." Ichigo muttered.

"That guy needs a hobby," Stark said.

"Are you saying you have one?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, sleeping," Stark replied. Ichigo laughed and shook his head.

"You really are hopeless. And so is he..." Ichigo said. Grimmjow was standing in front of a mirror admiring the reflection of him wielding his shikai. "Yes, it does make your butt look big," Ichigo said. Grimmjow spun around and growled at him before leaving the room with his head hung in embarrassment. Stark and Ichigo laughed their butts off at him.

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach but I do own the new shikais.**_

_**AN: I would like to thank my older bro for helping me come up with the shikais for Stark and Grimmjow.  
**_


	6. Chapter 6

_** A New Beginning

* * *

**_

_** Chapter 6

* * *

**_

Ichigo had been spending a lot of time in Soul Society learning all of the duties of a captain. He discovered that pretty much all he had to do was attend captain meetings, slay any really powerful hollows (which were extremely rare), and do lots of paper work. He reasoned that he could leave most of that up to his lieutenant. The only problem was that he and his lieutenant didn't get along very well. He had nothing against Momo but he barely knew her. She, despite claiming she wasn't anymore, was still an Aizen fangirl and didn't like that her new captain was the man who had killed Aizen. Actually, Ichigo hadn't killed Aizen, but no one had told Momo that because they didn't want to risk her fangirlism taking over and causing her to try and free him. Also, she had become a very untrusting person since Aizen's betrayal. He didn't blame her for the way she felt toward him.

_I hope I can become head captain soon so I can get out of this awkward position_ he thought.

* * *

_** Meanwhile

* * *

**_

Ulquiorra still hadn't learned his sword's name. He kept claiming he didn't want nor need to learn it but in reality he knew that he could never gain true power without learning it's name.

_Even if I wanted to open my heart I have no idea how I would do so. I guess I would have to find a friend, but Grimmjow doesn't have any friends and he unlocked his shikai. I don't understand any of this... _He thought with a sigh. A 6th squad member walked into the room.

"Ulquiorra, Captain Kuchiki-sama has a mission for you. You and two other shinigami are to travel to the living world. Another shinigami has claimed to have seen some sort of special hollow that can change it's appearance to that of a normal human. He says it changed form and ran into a crowd to escape him. He says that it takes on the form of a male human with short brown hair and red eyes. The eyes will be the biggest clue to it's identity," the squad member said.

"I'll leave immediately, Ulquiorra said.

* * *

_** Several Hours Later

* * *

**_

Momo had agreed to do a week worth of paperwork for Ichigo so he could go to the living world and hang out with his friends. He hadn't been able to visit them very often when he had been in the academy but now that he was a captain he could visit them anytime as long as Momo was willing to do the paperwork and there were no captain meetings. Rukia and Renji were usually busier than Ichigo so they weren't able to hang out in the living world much but they got to see Ichigo all the time. Despite the fact that Chad, Orihime, and Uryu were 31 their lives weren't all that different than when they had been 15. None of them were married so the only difference was that they had jobs. Karin, Mizuiro, and Tatsuki were all married, however. Poor Keigo was likely to be alone forever.

_I'm getting to visit the living world surprisingly often, I sleep in my own house more than in the captain's quarters_ Ichigo thought cheerfully. He stretched out on his bed, looking forward for a good night's sleep. Suddenly he heard angry whispers coming from within his closet. "Rukia? Renji? Is that you?" Ichigo asked. Suddenly the door burst open and three people lay sprawled out on the floor. "What are you guys doing here! ?" Ichigo exclaimed as he recognized who they were.

"Don't look at me, it was all their idea," Stark said while nodding his head in the direction of Grimmjow and Ulquiorra.

"Leave me out of this too..." Ulquiorra muttered.

"Stark was complaining about needing a place to sleep so I said we could stay at your house for a while," Grimmjow said.

"Why were you here in the first place? And are you saying you weren't even going to ask my permission?" Ichigo demanded.

"We were all sent on the same mission, to find a hollow that could take on the form of a human," Ulquiorra explained.

"And this mission could take a while so I figured we needed a place to stay," Grimmjow added.

"Who says I'm gonna let you stay?" Ichigo growled.

"I wouldn't want to stay anyway, I don't need other people's help," Ulquiorra said haughtily.

"Oh get over yourself, I don't like asking for favors either but sometimes you gotta, it's better than sleeping on the street," Grimmjow pointed out. Stark nodded his head in agreement.

"It doesn't sound like you were planning on asking," Ichigo growled.

"Can we please stay?" Stark asked hopefully.

"You can, but as for the other two..." Ichigo said.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Grimmjow whined.

"Fine, but only if you spend lots of time working on your mission so I don't have to deal with you too much," Ichigo said. Grimmjow grumbled at him.

"So where do we sleep?" Stark asked.

"My sister Karin has her own house now so her room is open. One of you can sleep in there. Another will have to sleep in the closet and the other can sleep on the couch. Yuzu still lives here so her room is off limits," Ichigo said.

"Stark snores so he shouldn't sleep in the closet. I refuse to sleep in a closet so it's all yours, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow said with a grin.

"I never agreed to stay here..." Ulquiorra muttered. Nobody paid any attention to him.

"I can sleep anywhere so I'll sleep on the couch," Stark said.

"And I'll sleep in your sister's old room," Grimmjow said.

"Do you need any pajamas or anything?" Ichigo asked when he noticed they were in gigais. They all shook their heads. "Okay then, just try not to disturb my family," Ichigo said. Grimmjow and Stark left. Ulquiorra just stared at him. "What?" Ichigo asked.

"I never agreed to-" he began.

"Just get in the closet," Ichigo snapped.

"Why do you insist on making me stay?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Because I'm not gonna let someone sleep on the street because they have too much pride to accept my help," Ichigo answered. Ulquiorra finally gave up arguing and went into the closet.

* * *

_** The Next Morning

* * *

**_

"Ichigo!" Isshin yelled from downstairs.

"I'm coming," Ichigo grumbled. He walked downstairs to find an angry Isshin, a confused Yuzu, and an irritable Stark.

"Why was this guy sleeping on our couch?" Isshin demanded.

"Oh come on, you let Rukia stay here all the time," Ichigo pointed out.

"She was different," Isshin argued.

"Yeah, she was a pretty young girl instead of a lazy guy," Ichigo growled. At that moment Grimmjow came waking downstairs.

"There you are, Kurosaki," he said.

"What is he doing here! ?" Isshin exclaimed.

"Who're you?" Grimmjow asked.

"He's my dad..." Ichigo mumbled.

"Why didn't you ask for my permission before inviting these people into my house?" Isshin demanded.

"They were hiding in my closet late at night. I know them, and I've told you about them, so it shouldn't be a problem," Ichigo said.

"Are there anymore hiding up there?" Isshin demanded.

_Hmmm, if I say yes he'll likely rant at me even more, I could tell him no and just tell Ulquiorra to sneak out..._ Ichigo thought. "Nah, these are the only two," Ichigo lied.

"Huh? But what about-" Grimmjow began. Ichigo gave him a death glare. He got the hint and shut up.

"What about what?" Isshin asked suspiciously.

"It seems someone is at the door, I bet it's Orihime and the others," Ichigo said quickly. Sure enough Uryu, Chad, and Orihime were waiting outside. "Hey guys, come on in," he said. They all walked upstairs, followed by Stark and Grimmjow. "This is Grimmjow and Stark, two new shinigami who just recently joined their squads and learned their Zanpakutō's names," Ichigo said. Naturally the introduction was unnecessary but it would seem suspicious to Grimmjow and Stark if all of his friends acted like they already knew them. Ichigo introduced his friends to the two and then they started talking to each other. The closet door opened and an irritable looking Ulquiorra walked out.

"Why is there so much noise?" he demanded.

"Dude, it's ten in the morning, it isn't exactly early," Grimmjow pointed out.

"It is? I guess sleeping in a closet threw off my sense of time," Ulquiorra muttered. Orihime was staring at him.

"Er, hi, Ulquiorra," she said timidly. She wasn't sure how to act around him. He had been keeping her prisoner for a long time and then he had died after having a change of heart. But now she was worried he was back to his old, highly annoying self.

"How do you know my name, woman?" He asked. She groaned.

_Try to calm down, he doesn't know my name yet, maybe he'll stop calling me that when he does_ she thought hopefully. "Ichigo told me about you. By the way, my name is Orihime," she said.

"Why are you acting friendly, as if you know me, woman?" He questioned. She face palmed.

"She was just trying to be nice," Ichigo growled.

"Why? I'm not her friend and I have no intention of being her friend," Ulquiorra said.

"It's perfectly normal to be polite to people you've just met," Uryu pointed out. Ulquiorra just blankly stared at him.

_Dang it! He hasn't changed at all... _Orihime thought drearily. That evening everyone went home and Stark, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra started on their mission. Orihime sighed as she walked into her house._ I was hoping so much that he would be different..._ She thought. Suddenly she had an idea._ I helped him change last time. Who says I can't do so again! That's what I'll do! I'll try hardest to change him at least a little in the short time he's here _she thought determinedly. Little did Ulquiorra know, an insane peppy girl was going to start stalking him and trying to turn him into a cheerful and friendly guy... _(Dun, Dun, Duuuuun!)

* * *

_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters._**

_**AN: This is NOT going to be a romance. This fic is comedy/adventure, not comedy/romance.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_** A New Beginning**_

* * *

_** Chapter 7**_

* * *

Ulquiorra, Stark, and Grimmjow had split up in their search for the hollow. They were all in gigais so that they could communicate with humans and ask people if they had seen anyone with red eyes. Stark was only searching half-heartedly, Grimmjow was talking to people in hopes of finding a clue, And Ulquiorra was searching and refusing to talk to any humans. Soon after staring their search, Stark had fallen asleep on a bench and Grimmjow had started threatening to blow people's heads off because they were getting on his nerves.

"Are you hoping to find a vampire? Sorry, but they don't come out in the day light," one guy joked.

"I'm not searching for a freaking vampire! Why do people keep asking me that! ?" Grimmjow shouted. He, having only made short visits to the human world in order to destroy weak hollows, had never even heard of vampires before. So these comments made no sense to him, all he knew was that these people were mocking him. "Hey, have you seen a dude with red eyes?" Grimmjow asked a man.

"I'm a cop, I have much more important things to do than hunt for vampires or whatever it is you're looking for," the cop said irritably.

"What the hell is a vampire! ?" Grimmjow shouted.

"Seriously? Have you been living under a rock?" The cop questioned.

"Shut up or I'll blow your freaking head off!" Grimmjow shouted. He had gotten rather sick of hearing people laugh and scoff at him.

"Threatening cops is against the law," the cop warned.

"I don't care about your stupid laws," Grimmjow growled.

"I suggest you stop running your mouth or I'll have to arrest you," the cop said sternly.

"You, a human, arrest me?" Grimmjow scoffed.

"That's it; I'm tired of your attitude. There is obviously something screwed up in that brain of yours. Come with me," the cop said as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

_I'll just fly away, wait, I can't in a gigai. Well, I'll just beat the crap out of him, wait, I was told not to harm any humans... Crap, now what?_ Grimmjow wondered. As the cop was about to put the handcuffs on him, Grimmjow came out of his gigai, gigged the cop, and ran off. _Talking to the humans has been a complete waste of time. Anyway, they can just make me a new gigai_ Grimmjow reasoned. Meanwhile, the cop was freaking out when he realized Grimmjow's gigai had no pulse.

* * *

_** Elsewhere**_

* * *

Ulquiorra was having about as much luck as the rest of them. He had seen no hints as to where the hollow might be hiding.

_We shall simply have to hope it attacks a human soon. When it does, we can lock onto its spiritual pressure and find it _he thought_._ He walked through the streets late into the night. He knew that it wouldn't come out into the open as long as it knew it was being watched but he wanted to stall his return to Kurasaki's house along as possible. He finally gave up and headed back toward the house. He slipped through Ichigo's window and into his closet without waking him up. _The only thing we can do is wait for it to make a move. As long as it knows we are watching, it won't do anything. We will have to hide our presence from it_ he thought. Unfortunately for him, this meant he would have to stay in Kurosaki's house all day. He sighed as he thought of this then he fell asleep.

* * *

_** The Next Morning**_

* * *

Ichigo got up and stretched. Stark had come in yesterday evening and went to sleep on the couch. Grimmjow had come in later and stomped upstairs, clearly in a foul mood, and then went to his room to sleep. _Hey, I never remember Ulquiorra coming back. I guess he didn't want to stay here anymore. I almost can't blame him, between my dad and Grimmjow this place is very chaotic_ he thought. He got up off his bed and walked across the room. He opened his closet to get his clothes. He made a startled noise when he saw Ulquiorra in his closet. "Sneaky, aren't you?" he muttered. Ulquiorra just stared at him blankly. "Good morning to you too," Ichigo muttered. He got his clothes and threw them on his bed before turning back to Ulquiorra. "Could you sneak out through my window like you did yesterday?" He asked.

"I will not be leaving. I have decided that staying indoors would be more helpful to the mission," Ulquiorra stated.

"What? But if my dad finds out he'll terrorize me even more!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"That is none of my concern. However, I will agree to stay in the upper levels of your house as long as you agree to bring me food," Ulquiorra said.

"Erm, sure, that's no problem," Ichigo said. Suddenly Grimmjow came stomping into the room.

"Hey, Kurosaki, what's a vampire?" He demanded.

"Er, why do you want to know?" Ichigo asked.

"That's none of your business," Grimmjow growled.

"Fine, it would be easier to show you though," Ichigo said. He turned on his computer and opened up wikipedia. He found the article on vampires and then motioned for Grimmjow to sit in his desk chair. Ichigo then went downstairs to eat breakfast. After Grimmjow had read a good deal of the article he turned to stare at Ulquiorra.

"Why are you staring at me?" Ulquiorra asked. Grimmjow didn't reply. Grimmjow went downstairs soon after reading the article.

"Hey, do you guys have any garlic, crosses, holy water, or silver?" Grimmjow asked.

"We have some garlic powder and I have a silver cross shaped necklace my mom used to wear," Yuzu said.

"Can I borrow that stuff?" Grimmjow asked.

"Erm, why?" She asked.

"I just read an article on vampires and I wanted to examine some of the items used to kill them," Grimmjow said.

"Sure, just make sure to return them," Yuzu said. After breakfast Ichigo asked Grimmjow to smuggle some leftovers up to Ulquiorra. He quickly agreed to do so. He sprinkled the garlic powder into the food and then hid the cross behind his back.

"Here's your food," he said as he handed it to Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra silently accepted it and took a bite.

"This tastes strange," he commented.

_Doesn't seem to have worked... _Grimmjow thought. He suddenly grabbed Ulquiorra's hand and put the cross in it. Ulquiorra stared at the cross.

"Why did you give this to me?" He asked.

"Because I thought you were a vampire..." Grimmjow muttered.

"A what?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"An undead creature that drinks human blood... They're supposed to be really pale and attractive. Well, you're really pale and you have a lot of fangirls and you act like the undead so I thought you might be one..." Grimmjow explained.

"You truly are an idiot," Ulquiorra stated.

"Hey! At least I know what a vampire is! They're extremely well known in the living world and you didn't know a thing about them. So now who's the idiot?" Grimmjow replied haughtily.

"You only found out about them a few minutes ago," Ulquiorra pointed out.

"That doesn't matter!" Grimmjow growled. Seeing that he was losing the argument, Grimmjow stomped out of the room before Ulquiorra could reply.

* * *

_** The Next Day**_

* * *

Ulquiorra had stayed in Ichigo's room for the whole day. He was extremely bored and he didn't even have Grimmjow to insult because Grimmjow was avoiding him after yesterday's conversation. When night came, Ulquiorra got back in the closet. As he was dozing off he heard blood curdling screams from downstairs.

_I wonder what that was. I don't feel any hollows nearby_ Ulquiorra thought. He decided to sneak downstairs and find out what was happening. He peered around the edge of the stairs so that he could see into the living room. Ichigo, Stark, Grimmjow, Isshin, and Yuzu were all watching horror movies. That day happened to be the second day of October, so they were celebrating the month of Halloween. This is why so many people thought Grimmjow was searching for vampires. Ulquiorra silently watched from the bottom of the staircase. At the moment, they were having a slasher movie marathon.

* * *

_**Three Days Later**_

* * *

_When will these women learn to look where they are going so that they will stop tripping over their own feet? And when will both the women and men learn that sex is shortly followed by death?_ Ulquiorra wondered. He had been secretly watching the horror movies for the past three days. He only kept watching because he had nothing better to do, or at least that's what he kept telling himself. The stupidity of the people in those movies never ceased to amaze him. The TV was turned off and everyone started heading toward their beds. Ulquiorra slipped back upstairs and back into the closet.

"I see you like horror movies," Orihime said from outside the closet. On that night Ichigo's friends had come over to watch movies with him. Apparently Orihime had noticed him watching from the staircase. He opened the closet door.

"I do not like them; I am simply bored and decided watching them was more interesting than staring at a wall," Ulquiorra replied.

"Really? You seemed pretty into them. Are there any movies you do like? Or is this your first time watching movies? I like a lot of movies, comedies and romances are my favorites," Orihime said.

"Soul Society does not have movies," Ulquiorra said.

"That's a shame... I'll just have to introduce you to more types of movies before you go back!" She said cheerfully.

"That really isn't nece-" he began.

"Hey Kurosaki-kun! Can I borrow you're TV and some movies?" Orihime asked as Ichigo walked into the room.

"It's kinda late isn't it? Can't you watch them at your house?" Ichigo asked.

"I wanted to watch some movies with Ulquiorra-kun. But I guess you're right, it is kinda late. Sorry to bother you," Orihime said.

_Ulquiorra-kun? Since when was I her friend?_ Ulquiorra wondered.

"Wait! I know! Ulquiorra-kun could stay at my house! Would you like to come to my house? I live alone so it wouldn't be a problem," Orihime asked. Before Ulquiorra could respond (his response would have probably been something along the lines of "Hell no, woman,") Ichigo answered for him.

"He would love to stay, I'm sure. You can leave with him anytime you like," Ichigo said.

"Okay! Let's go right now!" Orihime said cheerfully as she grabbed his hand to drag him out the door.

_Why me?_ Ulquiorra wondered drearily.

"Make sure my family doesn't see him," Ichigo said. Orihime nodded and then dragged Ulquiorra away. Ichigo snickered to himself, knowing what he was putting Ulquiorra through._ I finally got rid of him_ Ichigo thought cheerfully.

* * *

_**At Orihime's House**_

* * *

"You can sleep in my brother's old room. But first, let's watch a movie! How about Monty Python and the Holy Grail?" Orihime asked. Ulquiorra just nodded, not really paying attention. He was too busy wondering how he had gotten into this situation. He had thought the horror movies were stupid, he had no idea what he was in for.

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Monty Python and the Holy Grail (well, I don't own the rights to it but I do own a copy of the movie).**_

_**AN: The reasons I chose Monty Python and the Holy Grail are because I love the movie and it seems like the kind of humor Orihime would like. As you can probably tell, Orihime and Ulquiorra's relationship is not being set up for romance, but for humor. Cause I hate romance, but I love humor.  
**_


	8. Author's Note

_**A New Beginning**_

* * *

_**Author's Note  
**_

* * *

Okay, after reading the newest Bleach chapter I realize that the events of this story could actually take place. After all, Ichigo will likely get his powers back because it appears that there are going to be new villains.

I should warn my readers that I noticed that I had said that Ichigo had defeated Azien, not killed him (which is what actually happened in the manga). This means that I very well may have Aizen appear in later chapters. _**Update:**_ As Okami Itachki pointed out, I did say Ichigo had killed him in chapter 6. However, I edited that part and rephrased it so that I can bring him back.

Also, the reason none of the other Arrancar have come back to life is because _**1.**_ I didn't want them to be in this fic and _**2.**_ they won't all come back at once, they will be reborn over time. I might have more of them reborn but it will be really far into the fic before that happens.

I'm seriously surprised this story has as many fans as it does and I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed. Thanks guys, I'll try to keep up the good work :)


	9. Chapter 8

_** A New Beginning

* * *

**_

_** Chapter 8

* * *

**_

Ulquiorra woke to the sound of Orihime humming cheerfully as she fixed breakfast. _That movie made all of those horror movies look intelligent and well thought out. I don't even want to think about what movies she will have me watch next..._ Ulquiorra thought with a sigh. He was just beginning to cook up an escape plan when Orihime walked into the room.

"You're awake! Now we can eat breakfast! I cooked it myself," she said cheerfully. He silently followed her into the kitchen and stared in horror at the plate she set before him. It consisted of ketchup covered eggs, jelly bean filled biscuits, and sausages topped with ice cream. Ulquiorra glanced up to see Orihime eating her meal with gusto. He nearly gagged. "You should eat it while it's still fresh," she said.

"I'm sorry but I am not really hungry right now," he said quickly. She looked slightly disappointed.

"Oh well, I'll just eat your food too then," she said.

_I can't live with this woman. I require food and I am afraid that if I eat anything she feeds me I will die of food poisoning..._ Ulquiorra thought worriedly. Orihime noticed his worried expression.

"You seem down. I know what will cheer you up! More movies!" She said cheerfully.

_Someone please save me_ Ulquiorra thought drearily.

* * *

_**Sometime in the Evening

* * *

**_

Ulquiorra had seen more chickflics in one day than any respectable male should see in his entire life. The good news was that Ulquiorra was beginning to feel more emotions than he usually did. His emotions now consisted of horror, disgust, desperation, and thoughts of suicide. Orihime never noticed any of this. Just as he was trying to figure out how to drowned himself in the tea Orihime had given him he sensed a spiritual pressure. He shot up from where he was sitting and darted for the door faster than Orihime could blink.

_Huh, I guess he sensed that hollow he's been looking for. Hey! I know a way to help him! I can cheerlead for him while he's fighting just like I used to for Kurosaki-kun!_ Orihime thought. She then darted out the door after him.

* * *

_** Sometime Later

* * *

**_

Unfortunately, the spiritual pressure had belonged to a normal hollow and not the one Ulquiorra was searching for. As he was fighting it he heard a someone yelling behind him. He glanced back to see Orihime shouting encouragements at him. "Give em' an uppercut!" She shouted.

_I'm using a sword! Not my firsts! _He thought irritably. He cleaved the hollow's head in two and then turned to glare at Orihime. "If you must cheer for me than at least use appropriate terms," he snapped.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll try to do better..." she apologized.

"I would prefer if you did not try to cheer at all," he said.

"I was only trying to help..." she said sadly. He didn't bother to reply. They returned to Orihime's house in silence, something Ulquiorra was very thankful of.

* * *

_** The Next Day

* * *

**_

Orihime had once again started terrorizing him with movies, though thankfully they weren't chickflicks. She also spent the day trying to come up with better cheers. He spent the whole day wondering if he could sneak back into Ichigo's closet. The more he was around her the more he grew suspicious of how it seemed as if she had met him before Ichigo had introduced them. Also, the way she acted reminded him if his fangirls at the academy, the memories made him shudder in fear.

_Why me? Why couldn't she have kidnapped Grimmjow or Stark? _He wondered. He decided to ask her. "Why have you taken such an interest in me? Why not Grimmjow or Stark?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh, um, I don't know. I just thought we could get along better," she lied.

"For some reason I doubt the truthfulness of that statement," he responded.

"Well, I don't like Grimmjow's foul mouth and anger issues and Stark would make boring company because he sleeps all day long," she said.

"Surely by now you have realized that Stark would make just as interesting company as myself, well, maybe a little less interesting," Ulquiorra said.

"Does that mean you want me to trade you for Stark?" She asked.

_Amazing, she actually caught on_ he thought dryly. "Yes, at least until you can judge on who is a more interesting house guest," he said.

"Oh, well, ok..." She said. _I'll just spend a day or two with Stark and then I'll trade again_ she thought. Ulquiorra nearly sighed with relief. Later that day they returned to Ichigo's house and traded, much to Ichigo's dismay.

_Why did I just allow myself to be robbed of my only decent house guest?_ Ichigo wondered to himself as Orihime and Stark left. Ulquiorra, meanwhile, was feeling the closest thing to joy that he was capable of (which is to say, he was no longer feeling suicidal).

* * *

_** Two Days Later

* * *

**_

Orihime could truthfully say that Stark was more boring than Ulquoirra. When she offered to watch a movie with him, he would accept, and then he would sleep through the whole thing. He did act more lively when she fed him, though. His eyes widened, he claimed he had to run to the bathroom, and then he spat the food out into the nearest trashcan out of Orihime's sight. Near the end of the second day, Orihime begged him to spend a little time with her without falling asleep. He grudgingly agreed, only because he figured he owed her that much for letting him stay at her house.

"So what do you want to do?" Stark asked Orihime.

"How about we watch a movie?" She asked. He nodded in agreement. She stuck in a movie, a new chickflick that she had just bought. It took everything in him not to whine through the whole movie, but he managed it. "Let's go for a walk!" She said as the credits rolled.

"Sure," Stark said, figuring this would be better than another movie. They walked through a nearby park. The moon was full and the whole park was lit by its light. It was a cold night, but not uncomfortably so. After they had walked for a little while Stark noticed that Orihime seemed sad. "Is something wrong, Inou?" Stark asked.

"N-no! Nothing at all!" She lied.

"I figured you might want to tell me something when you said you wanted to walk. So tell me what's bothering you," he said. She sighed and sat down on a bench. He sat down beside her and patiently waited for her to speak.

"I've been trying really hard to get Ulquiorra-kun to open up a little, but nothing works," she said sadly.

"If it were possible to get that guy to open up, which I doubt it is, it would take much longer than a week or two," he pointed out.

"I know, but I feel like I have to try," she said.

"But why? Why do you care about him?" he asked.

"I can't explain it, especially not to you," Orihime said with another sigh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, feeling somewhat insulted.

"I didn't mean it as an insult! I just can't really talk about this to you, Grimmjow, or Ulquiorra. It could cause the three of you harm," she explained.

"I guess I'll take your word on it. Maybe the reason it's not working is because you're trying too hard. I'm not saying you should give up, just be a little patient," Stark said. Orihime thought for a moment and then smiled.

"You know, you're pretty wise," she said. Stark looked slightly surprised at the compliment.

"Nah, I'm just too lazy to get directly involved in anything, I prefer to observe, so I notice things a little faster than the less lazy people," he said.

"Well, you're wiser than me, that's for sure," she said. Then she stood up as if to start walking again. He stood up as well. Suddenly she hugged him. "Thanks so much, Stark-kun!" She said cheerfully.

"Er, it was nothing," he said awkwardly. She stopped hugging him and started waking again, only now with a spring in her step. Stark stood beside the bench, wearing a confused expression on his face, and then he resumed following her.

* * *

_**AN: Sorry for the rather uneventful chapter, I'll try to make the next one more interesting. P.S. No, I'm not setting this up for OrihimexStark either**__**.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or the moon.**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

* * *

The next day Orihime asked Stark if he would mind trading again. He said that it was fine with him, he didn't particularly care. So she returned to Ichigo's house with Stark. After greeting Ichigo, Orihime glanced around, hoping to see Ulquiorra. Ichigo noticed this.

"Sorry, Inou, but Ulquiorra isn't here right now. He left because he sensed some spiritual pressure. Grimmjow left as well. They sensed two different spiritual pressures so they split up," Ichigo said. Orihime looked disappointed.

"Oh well, will you call me when he comes back?" Orihime asked.

"Sure," Ichigo said. Orihime said good-bye to both Ichigo and Stark, who was leaving to search for one of the hollows, and then left to go back home.

* * *

_**Elsewhere**_

* * *

Both Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were still searching for the hollows. After a little while, Grimmjow managed to catch up with his and kill it. Unfortunately, it was not the hollow they were searching for. Ulquiorra found his as well, and once again, it was the wrong one. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra then returned to Ichigo's house. Ichigo called Orihime and told her that Ulquiorra had returned. Ulquiorra heard them talking over the phone and suddenly decided it would be a good idea to search for the hollow until evening. Needless to say, Orihime was upset when she discovered Ulquiorra had snuck off. She left feeling very disappointed.

* * *

_**Later That Evening**_

* * *

Orihime had left her house to go pick up some items at the grocery store. Ulquiorra had still not returned to Ichigo's house.

_How much longer will this search take? Is the hollow even in this area anymore?_ Ulquiorra wondered as he wandered through a nearby park. It was later in the evening; the sun was beginning to set, so there weren't many people in the park. Ulquiorra enjoyed the silence and lack of people. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, the footsteps sounded as if the person was trying to be stealthy. He turned around and saw a young man with short brown hair and, more importantly, glowing red eyes. "You're the hollow," Ulquiorra stated. The man grinned.

"Yes, a shame you noticed me before I could devour you. Oh well, either way you are soon to be dead," the man said.

"Why have you decided to show yourself now?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"Because you're quite far away from your friends, so far away, in fact, that I can barely sense them," the man stated.

"I see, divide and conquer," Ulquiorra said.

"Yes, I have divided and now I must conquer," the man said with a sinister grin. He transformed into his hollow form and attacked. Ulquiorra fought back but quickly realized that this hollow was far stronger and faster than the others. He blocked one of its attacks, but it nearly ripped his sword from his hands. Dodging was difficult because it was quite fast. "What's wrong, shinigami? Why don't you use shikai?" it asked. Ulquiorra didn't respond. It swung its clawed hand at him again. He barely managed to duck in time to avoid the blow. "Are you going to stay on the defensive forever? You'll tire in no time if you keep fighting like that," it mocked. Ulquiorra moved forward only to have to step back to dodge another attack.

_He's right; I'll never win like this. I have to fight back_ Ulquiorra thought. Ulquiorra leaped into the air and tried to come down on top of the hollow, hoping to split it's skull with his sword. The hollow simply laughed and then swatted him out of the air. He hit the ground with a thud.

"You are truly the most pathetic shinigami I've ever fought," the hollow said with a laugh. Ulquiorra glared at it as he stood back up. He gritted his teeth as pain shot through his side.

_It seems to have broken a few of my ribs... I have to end this soon_ he thought.

* * *

_**Elsewhere**_

* * *

_I wonder if Ulquiorra-kun was purposely avoiding me_ Orihime thought unhappily. She was walking through a store. She held a shopping list in her hand but she wasn't paying much attention to it. She sighed as she walked through one of the isles. _Maybe it really isn't possible, maybe I can't change him. I thought it would be easier, him being a good guy now and all, but it's just as hard_ she thought. Suddenly, she felt a surge of spirit pressure. _That felt like Ulquiorra-kun!_ She thought excitedly. She dropped her groceries and dashed out the door. She ran into the park. She ran even faster when she spotted him in the distance. "Ulquiorra-kun!" She called out. He glanced back with a slightly confused look on his face. The hollow noticed his momentary distraction and slashed at him with its claws. He tried to dodge but it managed to slice his shoulder. Ulquiorra stumbled back and winced in pain as he clutched his shoulder. It took Orihime a few seconds to realize what was happening. "Ulquiorra-kun! Are you all right?" She asked with a worried look on her face.

"No thanks to you, woman," Ulquiorra snapped. Orihime looked hurt.

"I'm sorry, let me heal it for you," she said. He glared at her and moved away when she came towards him. The hollow laughed, catching both of their attention.

"Refusing healing? You're not only the weakest shinigami I've ever faced, you're the dumbest one too!" it said.

"Is this the hollow you were looking for?" Orihime asked. Ulquiorra nodded, Orihime stepped forward. "I'll fight you," she said to the hollow.

"You? Ha! Don't make me laugh," it said. Ulquiorra stepped in front of her.

"Stay out of this, woman, it's my fight," he said.

"But-" she began. He ran toward the hollow before she could finish. The hollow swung at him but she put up a shield to protect him. They both stopped in surprise and glanced at her. Ulquiorra quickly made use of the hollows distraction and swung his sword at it. It jerked back before his sword could hit it. Once again it attacked and once again she blocked its attack. As the shield shattered, Ulquiorra dashed toward it. Every time it attacked Orihime would block it and then Ulquiorra would move closer to it. After the last shield shattered, he jumped into the air above it again. When it tried to attack it was blocked and Ulquiorra split its skull with his sword.

"Blast you, you stupid woman," it groaned, and then it died. Orihime cheered and then ran toward Ulquiorra. He tried to back away but instead he grunted in pain and grabbed his side. She quickly put her healing bubble around him. He looked at it warily.

"Don't worry, it will heal you," she said.

"...Why are you helping me? I didn't ask for your help, I told you to leave me alone," Ulquiorra questioned.

"I helped you because I wanted to. Sometimes people need help even when they don't want it. Pride isn't worth dying for," she said.

"Why did you want to help?" He asked.

"Because I don't like seeing people get hurt. And because I want to help you change. I know you don't understand emotion, but I want to help you understand. Believe me; you will be much happier if you do. It might seem like an inconvenience, but it's worth it," she said. He simply stared at her like she was some alien from another planet. She sighed. "I know I've been really pushy, making you watch all those movies and bugging you all the time. But I'll stop that, I just want to talk to you, to know you better," she said.

"Why are you so concerned with my mental and emotional state?" He asked.

"There is a reason, but I can't tell you.," she replied. He looked at her suspiciously. "I know you've got to go back to Soul Society soon, but could you just stay at my house tonight?" She asked. Ulquiorra stared at her.

"Fine..." he muttered. She squealed in delight. She trotted off toward her house. And he hesitatingly followed her.

* * *

_**At Orihime's House**_

* * *

Ulquiorra and Orihime sat in the living room in silence. She was about to burst with things she wanted to say but she kept quiet.

_I'm going to give him some peace and quiet; I'll listen to what Stark said and not pester him too much _she decided. Ulquiorra was somewhat confused as to why she wasn't talking, but he wasn't going to complain. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Why are you not talking? I thought you invited me here to talk," he asked.

"Uh, well, I thought you liked silence so I stayed quiet..." she said.

"This is true, but then why did you invite me here if you are not going to speak to me?" He questioned.

"Well, I thought I'd let you start a conversation, after all, I did say I wanted to get to know you," she said.

"What is it exactly you want to know? My likes, dislikes, and hobbies? I have no hobbies, I don't particularly like anything, and I dislike a lot of things. Is that good enough for you?" He asked.

"Surely there's something you enjoy. Reading? Training? Eating? It can be anything," she said. Ulquiorra thought for a moment.

"I do read, but not for enjoyment, I read to learn," he said.

"Then do you like to learn?" She asked.

"No, I simply consider it necessary," he answered.

"Maybe you should read something fictional. You can learn things from fictional books. I could let you borrow a book," she suggested. He looked uncertain. "I promise it won't be a romance novel," she said.

"...Fine," he muttered.

"Great! I'll go pick one out for you!" She said cheerfully. She dashed to her room to retrieve a book. She came back holding a small paperback book. "This is called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It's about wizards and witches," she said. He took it from her and examined it.

_It doesn't look too bad _he thought. "Fine, I'll take it," he said.

"Thanks! I'll go to bed now, you can stay up and read if you like," she said. He just nodded and then looked back at the book.

_I guess I can give it a try_ he thought. He opened it to the first page and began reading.

* * *

_**AN:**__** I didn't pick Harry Potter for any particular reason,**_ _**it's just the 1st thing that popped in my head when I thought of a book.**__**  
P.S. I'm soooo sorry for taking so long to post this! I wrote half of this chapter and then let it collect dust for a while**__** :(**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter**__** (though I do own a copy of all 7 books plus some special HP related books as well as all of the movies released so far).**_


End file.
